Arts in the City: Star back for ‘Passion’

Christopher Lincoln Bogg in the San Francisco Opera’s production of “Lulu”.

ONCE you’ve heard tenor Christopher Lincoln Bogg sing, it’s hard to forget him. He’ll be back in his hometown on Saturday, April 5, performing for The Llewellyn Choir’s “St Matthew Passion”. Bogg, the son of Canberra singing teacher Lois Bogg, has enjoyed considerable success overseas and will be joined on stage at Llewellyn Hall by an all-Canberra team of soloists and more than 150 singers from our leading choirs. Tickets at the door, bookings to 132849 or ticketek.com.au

WHILE we’re on oratorios, we hear Australian composer Rob Davidson has set Julia Gillard’s anti-misogyny speech to music for performance by Gordon Hamilton’s choir, The Australian Voices. Davidson says it’s just the first of a series of prime ministerial oratorios, including Whitlam’s “Well may we say” and Keating’s Redfern Speech – maybe even, if Kevin Rudd agrees, “We apologise”.

“AS tasty as schnitzel, satisfying as Sauerbraten,” they’re saying of the coming Audi Festival of German Films, April 1-6, at Palace Electric Cinema. Director, Arpad Sölter, has more than 50 films and glamorous German star, Nadeshda Brennicke, will do a Q&A at 6pm on April 3. Bookings to palacecinemas.com.au

THE 2014 Canberra International Music Festival, “The Fire and the Rose”, will feature works by composers who served on all sides of World Wars I and II. Retiring director and “CityNews” Artist of the Year, Chris Latham, who is also the conductor of the Gallipoli Symphony each year in Turkey, has slaved for years to uncover these works. Program at cimf.org.au

THE ever-resourceful Robert Stephens at Aarwun Gallery, in Federation Square, Nicholls, has secured original works, pencil on paper, ink on paper, oil paintings, etchings, signed limited lithographs and facsimile etchings by Donald Friend and Norman Lindsay. The exhibition and sale runs from March 28 to April 22, opening March 28, 6pm-8pm.

CANBERRA theatre identity, Trevar Chilver, founder of the former group, Canberra Dramatix, is heading to London, to “network in the theatre community in the hope that I will be able to make something of my playwriting”. As well, he’ll be developing the Eskada program with the Timor Leste Children’s Fund. Potential volunteers can contact him at trevar@chilver.net.au

MEZZO-soprano Prudence Dunstone and pianist Maryleigh Hand will perform romantic, poetic songs in English, Italian, French, German and Spanish, under the title “Love and Loss” in Art Song Canberra’s Season of Song, at Wesley Music Centre, 3pm, March 30. Tickets at the door.